Fla. Democrat leaves Veterans Affairs post after indictment

WASHINGTON (AP) — Florida Rep. Corrine Brown has stepped down as senior Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee following her indictment on fraud charges.

Brown, 69, and her chief of staff pleaded not guilty Friday to multiple fraud charges and other federal offenses in a grand jury indictment unsealed after an investigation into what prosecutors call a phony charity turned into a personal slush fund.

Brown, in her 12th term representing the Jacksonville area, said in a statement that she was stepping down temporarily to avoid distracting from the committee's work.

FILE - In this Aug. 13, 2015 file photo, Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla. talks with the press in Tallahassee, Fla. Brown has been indicted after a federal investigation into a fraudulent charity with ties to the congresswoman. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser, File)

Brown said she is confident she will be cleared of the charges.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called the charges "deeply saddening" but said Brown rightly stepped down pending resolution of the case.